Deadlifts

Spring break at the university freed me up for the gym most of the day.  I've been watching lots of crossfit and strongman videos while riding the trainer this year and olympic weightlifting has really caught my attention.  I was pretty excited to find that the local YMCA has some platforms and a few sets of training plates so I took advantage of that today.  I have some Rogue plates in the basement but haven't picked up a proper bar yet.  I do have the Rogue Stubby Axle which is a fine starter, however the bushings and knurl of a bar like the Rogue Bar 2.0 make all the difference.  Sure, every person who lifts knows this already but I am still pretty much a rookie weightlifter.  I was satisfied with lifting 90kg today for most of the deads and added two 2.5 lb plates for the last lift.  If the math is correct, 92kg is the PR for a deadlift.  I'll be adding more plates for the house so I can get myself to 100kg soon.  One of my friends just hit 195kg/430lbs at a competition this past weekend so he's pushing me to keep improving.          

Lake Effect Half Marathon & Finding Balance

This post is long overdue but finding a work-training balance has been exceptionally hard over the last month.  I teach college classes and the semester seems to go in cycles with a mid semester red zone leading into midterms and a final three week push with projects and then final exams.  I just hit that midway point and last week I had seven days of zero miles.  I still managed a few crossfit style workouts with my trainer so some core/arm/leg work is better than nothing.  

I did manage to fit in the Lake Effect Half Marathon on February 25.  This race had about 1,000 runners from what I saw and was set up to potentially be a tough day.  Syracuse is generally snowy in February so this is a race where you typically bundle up and fight the flakes and footing.  This year it was high 30s/low 40s and we had some rain in the forecast.  I was not looking forward to a couple hours of being wet and cold to the core but the race day turned out to be a great day to run.  The rain stopped by about 8:00 am and the start of the 13.1 was at 9:30.  At that point it was windy but dry and stayed that way until the last mile where it started a welcome light rain.  The course was hilly and I appreciated this knowing that Lake Placid is on the agenda for this summer.  I'm pretty certain I had a PR on this run and finished with a smile.  

The next race is a month away and I just started spring break at the university.  My work-life balance will tip heavily towards the training this week and I'm ready to log some miles and work in some speed work on my run.  After break, I'm hoping the weather will finally break so more training can happen outside.  

Going South

The winter months give you lots of time to plan where you want to travel for races.  I have loved going south to line up for a race and so I just added yet another weekend to my schedule.  I've only competed in two prior duathlons but I'll be racing in Greenville, South Carolina this April at the Duathlon National Championships.

Email marketing seems to really work with me because it's those times at my desk during the week where I long to be riding, running or swimming.  I'll see that message from USA Triathlon or Ironman in my inbox then jump on adding the race.  My work/race calendar will give me instant access to see if I can legitimately make it to and from a race without missing a class to teach.  Thankfully my Monday does not start until 1:00 pm so those Sunday races far from Syracuse are a possibility.  It was that message between work emails that convinced me to jump on this opportunity.

I'll check off racing in a new state with this one and now need to build in a little more speed work since the course will be a 5k run, 18.2k bike and a 2.85k run.  I'm slow on most runs but this race will push me to go harder for the first run, hammer the bike and see what I have left for the final run through the finish line.  I'm 100% confident that I will be the last one over the finish line for this one but being last at this race will be far superior to sitting home wishing I was in Greenville.

This will be my first time spending a weekend in South Carolina so if there is anything I must see or do while in town, please let me know.

2018 Goals

I have yet to lay out goals for this year.  Last year I wanted to be an Ironman All World Athlete and hit that goal but I didn't lay out many others.  

This year I am hoping to complete the following individual and family-focused goals:

• PR a 70.3 Race
• Complete Ironman Lake Placid
• Finish 2018 as an Ironman All World Athlete again
• Finish an off road triathlon
• Race with my son in a sprint/kids triathlon
• Get my daughter to do a 10 mile mountain bike ride with me 
• Swim across Skaneateles Lake
• Race in three states outside of New York
• Complete one event like the Black Fly Challenge or other gravel grinder

Hold me to these over the course of the year.  I'll share the experiences as I check them off the list.

Lake Effect Half Marathon

I am starting to add more races to my schedule and signed up for my first half marathon of the year.  The Lake Effect Half Marathon is a fun February race that was exceptionally snowy the last time I attempted it.  Traction was iffy at times but it felt great to finish it.  It was a run/walk for me, depending on the portion of the course, and I'm hoping to improve on my time from the last time I lined up for this one.  I think that was back in 2015 and the race director found a new location this year starting at the New York State Fairgrounds so it won't be a direct time comparison.  It looks like the course will be much less snow covered and the course as a loop (as opposed to the out and back) has me excited to try it.  

My milage isn't high enough to feel like I'm ready to run this one but I'm happy to take it slow.  I need a few more miles in my legs and this race will force me to get them.  The race is coming up in 2 weeks so it's time to hit the treadmill again. 

Riding the Trails

The weather has been irregular as always but I did manage to get some outdoor riding in recently.  The old Trek 820 has served me well for riding along the crushed gravel along the Erie Canal but it really hasn't seen any trail riding to speak of.  I have been flirting with the idea of trying an off road triathlon like Xterra but wanted to test riding off road a little first.  I thought after a couple days it would have been warm enough to melt the trails but there were certain spots where a fat tire bike would have been a much smarter choice.  

I was an absolute novice at riding these trails but it was a ton of fun.  I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to work in one of the Xterra races this year but I did take a little time to explore what the local bike shop had.  It was great to hear that the old 820 line is still around but the guys at the shop took me through all of the features that the newer bikes have.  I'm interested.  I don't know when I'll get to pick one up but one more bike in the garage would be nice.